Your New Dog

Suggested List of Helpful Things for Your New Dog

·       High quality food. I like Fromm. You may also look at www.dogfoodadvisor.com.

·       Two stainless steel bowls. Wash them frequently.

·       Single ingredient treats. Diced up meat, freeze-dried liver, dried sweet potatoes, etc. Avoid anything not made in the USA, sugar, salt, and preservatives.

·       Things to chew on such as real marrow bones, buffalo horns, deer antlers, bully sticks.

·       Toys such as Kibble Nibble, Kong, Tail Teaser, Jolly Ball, safe (not rope) tug toy.

·       An inexpensive dog bed.

·       A collar with your phone number embroidered on it. This is less annoying to you and the dog than hanging tags and allows someone who may not be able to “grab” your puppy to take a photo of the collar and see the phone number.

·       A 6-foot leash.

·       A dog seat belt for car.

·       A crate that is big enough for your puppy or dog when he is full grown.

·       A travel water bowl.

·       A reliable dog sitter or quality place to board.

·       A fenced yard or temporary fencing in part of your yard.

·       Gentle dog shampoo.

·       Nail clippers.

·       Ultra Oil.

·       Probiotic and Multi Vitamin. I like Nupro.

The Honeymoon Phase

It is exciting to get a new dog! Often, when we rescue a dog with a less than ideal previous life, we want to save the dog from any further distress. We might have even been attracted to the story the dog came with; many have been neglected or abused or simply unloved. I want you to welcome your new dog into your home and tell him how lucky he is to have been found by you! Tell him that from this day forward, he is a loved dog and you and he will let his story go away forever. Build his new life with you in a directed and positive way! This booklet will tell you how.

The Honeymoon Phase lasts anywhere from 2-6 months. This is a time when your dog’s behaviors are suppressed. Often, they seem too good to be true; no barking, sleepy, reserved. Your dog may be exhausted physically and that will present as sleepy and reserved. When he is rested, he will act like a normal dog by jumping, digging, chewing and the like. Your dog may not feel safe because he doesn’t know you or the home. This will present as good behavior. When he is all settled in, you will see barking at the doors and windows, helping himself to things on the coffee table, accidents in the house or even aggression. Normal dog behavior is good! Seeing him make mischief means he is feeling better! In order to be prepared for these behaviors, we will establish rules and boundaries from day one, to teach your new dog how to behave in your home and head off the mischief.

Please fight any desire to shower your dog with love, treats, and toys. These are valuable training tools that you can use to teach your dog good behaviors. Your dog needs safety, structure and guidance. Most dogs end up in a shelter due to behavioral problems that are preventable. Taking the time to train your dog will allow him to stay with you forever!

The First Three Days

In the first three days, your new dog needs to decompress from all the previous stress of losing his home and freedom, the stressful shelter environment, possibly medical procedures and now entering a new home with people he doesn’t know. His body needs time to calm down and he needs you to provide him with an environment for him to truly feel safe. Here is how you do that:

Control the dog’s experiences.

This is not the time for dog parks, daycares, or inviting the neighborhood kids over to meet the new dog. This is a time for the dog to learn about his new home and yard, to bond with you and to make sure he is eating, sleeping and toileting well.

Keep the dog’s world small and stress free.

If you have other animals, please don’t let them interact freely yet. If a negative experience occurs in the first few days, your new dog may not recover. Avoid the groomer and vet too. Focus on your dog feeling safe and resting a lot.

Help him bond with you.

Spend time observing your new dog. Feed him, play with him, and pet him if he seems to want that, but generally, let him come to you. Before you take your dog anywhere, it is important that he trusts you.

Use a crate.

Keep your new dog in a crate for two hours at a time during the day and to sleep in at night. Let him out to go to the bathroom and have some playtime with you in the house or yard. After some attention, place him back in the crate for another two hours. Keep this schedule for the first three days. I know it sounds tough, but your dog most likely was in a cage all day before coming to you. Ease him into his new life slowly. Crating him will get him on a bathroom schedule quickly, will allow him to rest, and make him feel safe. Remember that you do not know this dog at all. Do not give him freedom and trust him before it makes sense. Place the crate somewhere that is private, but not isolated. Do not allow other dogs or kids to enter the crate or bother the dog while he is in there.

Use a leash.

Have your dog drag a leash in the house and yard. New dogs are likely to run away if they get a chance. Don’t take any chances! If he does something you don’t like, such as getting on the furniture or counters, simply pull him off with the leash. This is a safe way to manage a new dog for a few days. Do not take your dog on a walk for the first few days. You don’t know him and if a neighbor wants to say hi or an off-leash dog runs up, it could be devasting.

Establish House Rules.

Determine what you want the dog to do in any given context, how you will teach him and what you will do to enforce the rules until learned. If you are unsure how to do this, a professional trainer can help.

Here are some examples:

·       No teeth, feet or butt on people.

·       No entry into the kitchen when you are cooking.

·       Lay on a dog bed when the family eats.

·       Wait on the area rug in the foyer when we use the front door.

·       How does the dog receive his food, affection, and toys?

·       How will we convey, “no” or “stop?”

Day Four and Beyond

By day four, your dog should be rested, be on a sleeping and eating schedule, and feel that he knows you. You should have your rules created and be ready to train your new dog to fit into your life and live happily ever after.

For the remainder of the first week, I recommend that you still not take your dog for a walk or introduce him to anyone outside of your family. If you have other animals in the home, this is the time to allow controlled interactions, with supervision, for short periods of time. Absolutely, no off-leash time anywhere, other than in your home and yard, if it has a secure fence. If you are unsure what healthy relations look like or are unsure of how to introduce your new dog to resident dogs, please consult a professional trainer!

In the second week, begin walking your dog. If you have other dogs, walk them together. It is best to have a handler for each dog. Put the new dog in a crate anytime you cannot supervise him This should continue for the first few months.

A major factor in a well-mannered dog is the owner! Dogs crave a leader that will keep him safe, love him fairly and guide him to desired behaviors. Here are some things to consider:

Leadership is a skill and an art. Not all of us are natural leaders, but all of us can be adequate if we take the time to learn about the being we are trying to lead. Here are some basic tips to lead a dog:

·       Looking at, talking to and touching a dog reinforces whatever behavior is occurring.

·       Set the dog up to succeed. Do not put him in a situation to fail or be “bad.”

·       If you teach a dog what to do, there is almost nothing left to correct.

·       “Bad” and “wrong” are all human things. In the animal world, behaviors are functional or not, meaning they work, or they do not work.

·       Growling and barking mean back off. If you ignore this warning, you might get bit and you will certainly put the dog in a position to fail.

·       Do not touch, talk to, or mess with, in any way, a dog that is eating, chewing something valuable, or sleeping.

·       Dogs do what you teach or what you allow.

·       A dog cannot “behave” well if it doesn’t feel safe, and/or its basic needs are not met.

·       Humans are smarter than dogs and can access information. WE are responsible for a dog’s behavior in our care.

·       Dogs have three main ways to cope with stress and conflict: play with it, flee from it or fight it. If you see one of these behaviors, the dog may feel threatened. Make him feel safe, and his behavior will change.

·       You have access to food, treats, toys, comfy couches, the outdoors, other dogs and can provide attention and affection. Use these things to reward the behaviors you want, rather than giving them away for free and teaching nothing to the dog.

Beware of Attention Seeking Behavior

Attention seeking behaviors include barking, whining, jumping, pawing, biting or mouthing you or your clothing, placing toys in your lap, or nudging your hands for petting. These behaviors almost always result in the dog receiving attention! Attention seeking behaviors are the same as a toddler screaming at you, “Gimme now!!!” If you give in, you will create a monster. By giving into these behaviors, you lessen your authority and therefore lessen the likelihood that your dog will listen to you and work for you.

The best way to handle attention seeking is to get up and walk away. Do not give your dog any attention; no looking, no talking, and no touching. This is not forever! You will do this to make the behaviors go away and once this is achieved, you are done.

Next, teach your dog how to ask for your attention politely; by sitting and looking at you. Ask for a sit and then give your dog your attention. After a few days, simply wait and allow your dog to offer you a sit, then reward him with attention, a treat, a toy, etc.

Give your dog attention only when you want to reinforce the behavior he is offering at the time. We often pet our dogs thoughtlessly each time they come near us. Stop this habit! Reward behaviors you like. When you encounter a behavior you dislike, do the following:

Manage the environment to prevent the dog from practicing undesirable behaviors. Use gates, crates, window coverings, throw a handful of dog food in your dog’s face as you enter your home, etc.

Ignore undesirable behavior. This works for attention seeking, but not for self-reinforcing behaviors like counter surfing. With dogs, there is always a BUT or IT DEPENDS!

Change the behavior by teaching your dog what you would like him to do instead.

When a dog is allowed to be pushy, he gets really good at using his body, his voice and maybe even his teeth to get what he wants. When you teach your dog manners and provide proper leadership, you teach your dog to defer to you and to think before acting. Serious behavior problems spawn from small ones not being addressed.

How to Build Confidence in Your Dog

A confident dog adapts easily to new things, knows what is expected in different situations, trusts people and himself, rarely uses aggression in any form, and has healthy coping mechanisms. Dogs can learn to be confident much more easily than people! Why do we care? Because having a confident dog makes your life easy and enjoyable.

Walk your dog.

A simple walk in your own neighborhood can expose your dog to many things; kids, skateboards, bikes, other dogs, noises, etc. Walk your dog in lots of places and his world becomes unlimited.

Train your dog.

Teaching your dog what specific words and hand signals mean and how to use them to manage his world is perfect for building confidence. Being misunderstood and not listened to creates frustration and distrust. Training brings comfort, clarity, and control.

Try new things.

Don’t be afraid to bring your dog someplace new or try a new activity. Overcoming a challenge can grow confidence quickly. We love to avoid things that are difficult or uncomfortable, but this stunts your dog’s emotional growth and prevents him from learning coping skills.

Guide and encourage your dog.

We can’t avoid stress. The more situations we experience that end positively, the better. There is a balance between pushing your dog into an uncomfortable situation and helping him through it.

Love your dog.

Love is a gift and a privilege. Things given freely are not valued. If you give attention and affection to your dog freely, you give away a valuable tool for teaching and training. If you expect your dog to be something he is not, he will always disappoint you. Love the dog you have and love him just the way he is.

Educate yourself.

Good teachers learn skills and practice and develop them. You are your dog’s guardian, teacher, coach, and protector. You need some skills to guide him properly. When you are confident, your dog will be too.

Establishing and Enforcing Rules

A harmonious home is one in which you and your dog know and follow the house rules that you have established by teaching them to your dog and then enforcing them routinely. Your dog should look to you for guidance and happily listen to you. You have the leader position, but you must do things to make that clear to your dog. Clear boundaries give a dog security and confidence, so that he can just be a dog and leave the rest up to you to handle.

Thoughtfully providing the things your dog values, rather than giving them for free, encourages your dog to listen and cooperate with you.

Control the major resources:

Food:

Food is a major resource. It is best when it comes from you, not just appear in the dog’s bowl and left there for him to enjoy at his leisure. Feed your dog twice a day. (3x a day for puppies) Ask your dog to sit.  When he looks up at YOU, reward your dog with his food by placing it on the floor for him to eat. Walk away from the bowl. Any food that is still in the bowl after 5-10 minutes should be picked up and put away.  If this is new for your dog, you will see him adapt to the new routine in about 2-5 days.  For dogs with real leadership issues or to train quickly, feed your dog all its food from your hand and skip the food bowl all together. Reward your dog with a piece of food when he does something you desire throughout the day.

Toys:

Leave only one or two toys out at any given time. The rest should be kept where only you can reach them and use them to get your dog’s attention and to influence his behavior.  When you’d like to give your dog a toy, ask him to sit and reward his good behavior with a toy. Play with your dog to increase your value in your dog’s eyes.

Many dog owners throw their dog a ball as a main source of exercise. This is ok, but may result in a dog that is obsessed with his ball. Keep the ball away from your dog to prevent him from demanding that you play with him. When you feel like it or your dog needs to be exercised, go get the ball. Ask your dog for a behavior – come, sit, down or any combo of behaviors and then reward the dog by throwing the ball for him. Switch your dog from listening to excitement and keep the use of the ball and its power in your control!  Put the ball away when you are done playing.

You:

You are the greatest resource of all because your dog needs you to get all the other resources! Don’t waste your position. Remind your dog all the time that you are important.  If he wants to be pet, don’t let him tell you when.  Ask your dog to come, sit or down and reward him with your affection.  For everything your dog wants, that you provide, ask him for a behavior and then provide him a reward.

Control Spaces and Places:

Furniture:

A dog that waits for an invitation to sit on a lap or a couch is a pleasure. I don’t mind if a dog takes a place that is available and not being used. A lap is part of a person that a dog should be invited to sit on, not just jump up.  It’s also important that a dog get off furniture when asked. If you can’t get your dog off furniture without using your hands, you’ve got a leadership and resource dispute.  Any dog with leadership issues should not be allowed on furniture.  He will need to earn this privilege and then come up only when the issues are cleared up and he is invited.

Space:

Doorways, hallways, and prime sleeping spots need to be managed by you, not the dog. If you ask your dog to move (body block, come when called or other way), it should move for you. This includes during exciting situations like getting a leash on, in and out of the car, while on a walk, etc.  If your dog refuses to move, you have work to do.  Your dog can be trained to get back, leave it, or come to help with these issues. With effective teaching comes good listening. The goal is to move the dog with our influence, not our hands.

Other Areas for Leadership:

Handling:

Dogs that are taught to accept handling from you and others are safe and manageable. If not taught when they are young, many dogs suffer severe stress at the vet and groomer.

Training:

Taking time to train your dog establishes leadership by having lots of mini lessons for the dog to take instruction from you and be rewarded for it. It’s practice for real life. If you want your dog to listen to you, just five minutes a day of obedience will make a big difference.

Other Dogs:

If you have more than one dog, you should be the leader to them all. Dogs need leadership and rules to prevent fights.  No dog should have the position of “alpha,” because that is your job.

If you and your dog aren’t seeing eye to eye on how the house is run or who is really in charge, you are having leadership issues.  You need to take the time to establish the above rules, so they are easy for you and accepted by the dog. You will know when he sees you as his leader (or parent or owner or alpha –pick the description of your choice) because you won’t be having any difficulties anymore.

Good leaders are clear, concise and consistent. Through training, you will learn how to influence your dog’s behavior without becoming frustrated or angry.  True leadership is earned not forced.

Conclusion

I hope you found this information helpful. Good leadership is vital in your relationship with your dog. Dogs need it and you benefit from applying it! Your dog depends on you for everything. Meet your dog’s needs and she will be your loving and loyal companion and a constant source of joy.